Alfonzo Dennard has court date moved back to Sept. 16

Patriots cornerback Alfonzo Dennard has again had his court appearance moved back, meaning his preparation for the season opener in Buffalo will not be affected.

According to the court clerk in Lincoln, Neb., the Patriots will now appear in court Sept. 16 to answer for an alleged violation of his probation. That means he would appear on the Monday after the home opener against the Jets and would not miss any on-field practice time.

Dennard was originally due to appear in court in Nebraska in August for a probation violation hearing, but the court date was moved to this Friday. On Thursday, that date was moved back again.

In April, Dennard was placed on probation and sentenced to 30 days in jail — to be served next March — after being convicted of assaulting a police officer outside a nightclub days before he was drafted by the Patriots in 2012. Then in July, Dennard was arrested for suspicion of DUI.

In a worst-case scenario, the judge in the case could order him to serve his jail term immediately for violating terms of his probation.